The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and its members understand that the cyber threat is real and that it is here and now. Increased connectivity and distributed networks make our critical infrastructure, IT systems, and sensitive data vulnerable to attacks by criminals, hacktivists, and state and nonstate actors.

As we blogged previously (https://theiacpblog.org/2013/03/12/cyber-threats-are-closer-than-they-appear/), cyber security is not only a national-level challenge; it affects state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies. These agencies encounter issues ranging from crimes committed against local individuals and businesses, to forensic cyber investigations, to protecting against and responding to cyber attacks and intrusions.

The IACP has been actively engaged in a host of activities over the past 12 months to better assist law enforcement counter cyber threats and address cyber crime. A report has been posted on the IACP Website, outlining some of these activities. It can be found here (http://www.theiacp.org/portals/0/pdfs/CyberSecurityBriefFINAL.pdf). Among the activities discussed in the report:

Cyber Roundtable Meeting with DHS and the White House (December 2012);

Survey of State and Local Law Enforcement on Perceptions of Cyber Security and Threats (April 2013);

State and Local Cyber Crime and Digital Evidence Assessment (September 2013);

In addition, over the past 12 months, IACP leadership has had high-level meetings with federal partners about the need to actively engage SLTT law enforcement; conducted site visits to the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC), the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force (NCIJTF), National Computer Forensics Institute (NCFI), and Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3); and co-hosted a secure video conference for SLTT law enforcement with the FBI and DHS.

The IACP, in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), is developing the Law Enforcement Cyber Center, which will build upon the substantive initiatives described above and address emerging challenges associated with cyber threats and cyber crime. This Cyber Center will be a collaborative effort that leverages the expertise of a multidisciplinary working group of federal, state, and local government organizations, public and private industry, and academia.